On February 14th, the Ministry of Health issued "Temporary Guidelines for Surveillance and Prevention of Nipah Virus Disease in Humans".
Vietnam has not yet recorded any cases of Nipah virus infection. However, given its zoonotic transmission and potential for human-to-human transmission, along with its high mortality rate in some countries, developing guidelines for surveillance and response is considered necessary.
3 routes of transmission for the Nipah virus
According to the Ministry of Health , Nipah virus disease was first recorded in 1998 in Malaysia among pig farmers. To date, the world has recorded 748 cases, including 442 deaths, equivalent to a mortality rate of approximately 59%.
Patients infected with the Nipah virus are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) in India during the 2024 outbreak (Photo: Reuters).
In South Asia, the risk of infection increases from approximately December to May each year. The transmissibility of an infected person is determined from the onset of symptoms until the 21st day of the illness.
The disease is transmitted to humans through three main routes: direct contact with infected animals or their secretions; consumption of food contaminated by the secretions of bats or infected animals, such as fresh date palm sap or fruit bitten by bats; and direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.
Cases of person-to-person transmission have been reported in healthcare settings and among family members caring for patients through close contact or contact with secretions from patients infected with Nipah. The risk of spread in healthcare settings may be increased in overcrowded hospital environments with poor ventilation and inadequate infection control and prevention measures.
According to guidelines, the Nipah virus can survive for up to 3 days in some fruit juices at room temperature; at least 7 days in date palm sap at 22°C; and has a half-life of approximately 18 hours in fruit bat urine. The virus is inactivated by heating at 100°C for more than 15 minutes and is sensitive to soap, detergents, and sodium hypochlorite.
Clinical manifestations in infected individuals vary widely, from asymptomatic (8-15%) to encephalitis, acute respiratory failure, and death. The average incubation period is 3-14 days, although in rare cases it can be up to 45 days.
Patients typically experience fever, headache, confusion, drowsiness, and dizziness; these may be accompanied by cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the disease can progress rapidly, leading to seizures, encephalitis, and deep coma within 24-48 hours.
Fruit bats belonging to the family Pteropodidae, particularly the genus Pteropus (horseshoe bat), have been identified as the natural hosts of the virus. Bats can shed the virus through saliva, urine, and feces without showing obvious symptoms. Several intermediate hosts have been documented, including pigs, horses, goats, sheep, and dogs.
Nipah virus is a pathogen that originates from fruit bats (Photo: VCG).
Closely monitor and promptly address any outbreaks that occur.
A suspected case is someone with acute fever accompanied by encephalitis symptoms, or fever with headache, or fever with cough and shortness of breath; and within 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms, there are epidemiological factors such as travel to, residence in, or return from an area with an ongoing NIV outbreak; direct contact with a confirmed case; or contact with infected animals.
A person is identified as having a positive NiV test result using Real-time RT-PCR, gene sequencing, or virus isolation from specimens such as respiratory fluid, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or tissue.
Close contacts include individuals who have direct contact with a patient from the onset of symptoms until isolation; individuals who come into contact with the patient's blood, bodily fluids, or contaminated items; individuals who come into contact with animals infected with the virus; or cases of exposure in laboratories due to inadequate biosafety measures.
The Ministry of Health requires healthcare facilities to strengthen surveillance, early detection of suspected cases, epidemiological investigation, sample collection for testing, and management of close contacts. At border crossings, incoming travelers will have their body temperature measured, symptoms observed, and epidemiological factors related to affected areas investigated.
Body temperature measuring and medical quarantine equipment at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Photo: VE).
In the community, when clusters of encephalitis cases appear, with deaths of unknown cause having epidemiological factors, or signs of circulating intermediate animal vectors, the health sector, in coordination with agriculture , environment, and local authorities, implements event-based surveillance to promptly detect risks.
How can we prevent it?
In the "Interim Guidelines for Monitoring and Controlling Nipah Virus Disease in Humans," the Ministry of Health states that there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for Nipah virus disease.
The Ministry of Health advises people to wash their hands with soap or disinfectant after contact with animals; to eat cooked food and drink boiled water; to wash and peel fruits before eating; and to avoid consuming fruits showing signs of being bitten by bats or birds, or fresh tree sap from areas where bats live.
Individuals traveling to, residing in, or returning from areas affected by the epidemic should proactively monitor their health for 28 days from the date of entry. If symptoms such as fever, encephalitis, cough, or difficulty breathing occur, they should limit contact with others and go to the nearest medical facility for timely advice, diagnosis, and isolation.
When an outbreak occurs, infected or suspected cases must be isolated at a medical facility or a facility designated by the competent authority until a negative test result is obtained. Medical facilities must strictly implement infection control measures and use all necessary personal protective equipment.
Close contacts are investigated, listed, and required to self-monitor their health for 28 days from the last contact. If suspicious symptoms appear, they should immediately notify a healthcare facility for testing and treatment.
Areas with confirmed cases must be disinfected with a solution containing 0.5% active chlorine. Clothing, bedding, and other belongings of patients must be soaked in disinfectant solution before washing. Waste generated during care and isolation must be treated as infectious medical waste, not as regular household waste.
After an outbreak is declared over, communication, surveillance, and reporting activities continue for an additional 45 days from the date of onset of the most recent case.
In the context of increasing international exchange, strengthening surveillance from border crossings to the community is considered a crucial solution to protect public health and control the risk of Nipah virus entry and spread.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/bo-y-te-virus-nipah-co-the-lay-tu-nguoi-sang-nguoi-3-duong-lay-truyen-20260214171509470.htm
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